Waheed Ur Rehman Para
Cases- Case status
- Unknown
- Location of case in SG report
- 2021-040-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2021
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 20.593684
Longitude: 78.96288
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- India
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN Special Procedures: Thematic
- Dates of prior UN action
- 16 March 2021
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
Engaging with the UN security council
- Type of rights defended
- Caste/Ethnic minorities' rights/Racism
- Unclear in SG Report
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
On 30 July 2020, Mr. Para had engaged with UN Security Council members in a closed virtual meeting where he raised issues related to the Government of India’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir, its treatment of Muslim minorities, and the recent border tensions with China.
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Security Council
- Dates of engagement
- 30 July 2020
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participating in a meeting with the UN virtually
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 25 November 2020; 11 January 2021
- Reprisal information
On 16 March 2021, special procedures mandate holders raised concern about allegations of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment of Mr. Waheed Ur Rehman Para and other civil society actors, and reprisals against Mr. Para by Indian intelligence following his engagement with members of the UN Security Council (IND 4/2021). On 30 July 2020, Mr. Para had engaged with UN Security Council members in a closed virtual meeting where he raised issues related to the Government of India’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir, its treatment of Muslim minorities, and the recent border tensions with China. Following this engagement, Mr. Para reportedly received threats from National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials indicating that he was inviting trouble by engaging in such events. 41. According to information received, on 25 November 2020, Mr. Para was arrested by the NIA on alleged terrorism charges and held in their custody for one month at its headquarters in New Delhi. While in NIA custody, Mr. Para was reportedly interrogated about the meeting with Security Council members and threatened to cease speaking against the Government. He was held in a dark underground cell at sub-zero temperature, where he was allegedly deprived of sleep, seriously physically assaulted, including beaten with rods, stripped naked and hung upside down. On 11 January 2021, Mr. Para was charged in relation to financial support to terrorist groups and transferred to Srinagar under the custody of Counter-Intelligence in Kashmir. He reportedly appeared before court with a lawyer for a bail hearing, which was denied. As of May 2021, he remains in remand.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Charge/Investigation/Prosecution - General
- Detention/Imprisonment: Detention/Imprisonment - General
- Disappearance/Kidnapping
- Physical attack: Torture/Cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- Yes
- Government response dates
- 20 August 2021
- Government response content
vehemently denying the alleged arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture and ill-treatment against Mr. Para by the NIA. It stated that the Agency’s actions should be seen as part of the Government’s efforts to combat terrorism financing. The matter is currently sub judice before the competent court and, in the meantime, Mr. Para has been provided medical assistance and was allowed to meet his counsel while in police custody.
- Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 0